Almond Meringues

Ingredients

• 0.3 cup almonds cooled crushed lightly toasted sliced
• 3 large egg whites 
• 0.8 cup granulated sugar 

Equipment

• bowl
• baking sheet
• baking paper
• oven
• hand mixer
• pastry bag

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 225°F.
2. Beat whites with a pinch of salt in a bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until they hold soft peaks.
3. Add 1/2 cup superfine sugar a little at a time, beating, then continue to beat at high speed until whites hold stiff, glossy peaks, 1 to 3 minutes. Fold in remaining 1/4 cup sugar gently but thoroughly.
4. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Put a small dab of meringue on all 4 corners of each sheet, then turn paper over, pressing on corners to adhere parchment to baking sheets.
5. Spoon meringue into pastry bag. You will be making 4 lattice cookies on each sheet, so work in 1 quadrant for each: Pipe 4 (4-inch-long) diagonal lines, about 5/8 inch apart, then pipe 4 (4-inch-long) parallel lines diagonally across original 4 lines, 5/8 inch apart, to form a lattice. Make 3 more lattice meringues on same baking sheet, about 1 inch apart.
6. Sprinkle half of almonds over meringues. Pipe 4 more lattice meringues on second baking sheet in same manner, then sprinkle with remaining almonds.
7. Bake meringues in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until crisp and pale golden, about 1 hour total.
8. Cool meringues completely on sheets on racks, about 1 hour, then carefully peel from parchment.
9. • Meringues can be made 3 days ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.